Pencil



March 23, 1937. E. B. WHITNEY PENCIL Filed May 15, 1955 NVENTOR EDG/UZ 5. //V//VEV A TTORNEY 111: l; ii. .l L

Patented Mar. 23, 1937 uNlTl-:D STATES PATENT GFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a writing instrument and particularly pertains to a rellable pencil.

At the present time pencils are being made which are fed with mechanical means for holding and ejecting a lead therefrom as necessity requires. These structures, for the most part, contemplate that when a lead has been worn away until it is of short length, another lead may be inserted within the holding and feed means by manual operation, which usually requires that the lead shall be inserted into the end of the point of the pencil holder to thereafter be gripped in a manner to allow it to be mbved back and forth for feeding and adjustment. It is the particular object of the present invention to provide a pencil which embodies a mechanical feed and which pencil contains a magazine within which a plurality of leads are placed, said leads automatically moving into a feeding position within the pencil as the feeding mechanism iS manipulated and then requiring no manual opieration to set or position the lead with relation thereto.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a pencil body within which a longitudinally moving feed mfeans is disposed, said body also including a magazine for leads so positioned as to insure that leads may be successively engaged by the feed means and fed from A the point of the pencil body as required.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section showing the pencil with which the present invention is concerned.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in longituclinal section showing the feed means.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showing the lead magazine.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View in transverse section through the pencil as seen on the line 4 4 of Fig. l and as disclosing the manner in which the feed members are related.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, Ill indicates the main barrel forming the body of the lead pencil with which the present invention is concerned; II indicates an auxiliary barrel section disposed in longitudinal alignment with the main barrel' and rotatable with relation thereto around the common axis of the main barrel and the auxiliary barrel; I2 is a point which is here shown as threading on to the end of the auxiliary barrel II and which is provided with a central longitudinal passageway I3 in longitudinal alignment with the central axis of the pen- Cil (Cl. 1Z0-18) cil. The inner end of the opening I3 is provided with a counterbore I4 to facilitate in centering pencil leads I5 therein. The auxiliary barrel section carries a magazine I3. The magazine I6 is cylindrical and is here shown as having a central opening I1, the body of the magazine being cut away at one side to form a segment of a circle which would provide inclined walls I8 and I9 leading to the cylindrical opening. The inclined walls I8 and I9 will, therefore, form a trough-like receptacle 2l] within which a p1u` rality of pencil leads I5 may beplaced. The opposite ends of the magazine I6 are provided with end discs 2I and 22 which close the ends of the trough suliiciently for the openings I1 at the opposite ends thereof. 'Ihe auxiliary barrel II is formed at the end opposite from the point I 2 with a tubular extension 23 which extends into the opened end of the pencil barrel I0. A groove 24 is here shown as formed around this tubular extension and into it'an annular shoulder 25seats. This acts to hold the barrel sections I 0 and II in assembled relation to each other while permitting relative rotation between the two sections. This assembly may permanently be made by rolling the metal of the barrel IIJ into the groove 24 to form a permanent interlocking shoulder. The tubular extension 23 carries a knul-led nut 26 which lits into an opening through the extension and is held against rotation. As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, this nut carries a screw sleeve 21 upon which the nut is rigidly fastened and which anchors the screw sleeve with relation to the tubular extension 23. A helical groove 28 is formed lengthwise of the sleeve 21 and therearound and also extends Ventirely through the wall of the sleeve 21. Longitudinally moving through the sleeve 21 is a sleeve 29 which is formed throughout its length with a slot 30 through its wall. This sleeve is secured at its rear end with the transverse partition member 3I within the main barrel section IB. It will thus be seen that as the main barrel section I0 and the auxiliary section II rotate with relation to each other that their common longitudinal axis with the sleeve 29 will rotate in screw sleeve 21. Telescoping within the screw sleeve 21 is an ejector rod 32. This rod carries a pin 33 which extends through the slotted opening 3l) in the side wall of the sleeve 29 and also into the helical slot 28 of the screw sleeve 21; thus, relative rotational movement between the screw sleeve 21 and the slotted sleeve 29 will cause longitudinal movement of the ejector rod 32 with relation to both sleeves. The

forward end of the ejector rod 32 may move through the central longitudinal opening II of the magazine and into the opening I3 through the point I4, thus ejecting a lead, which may be o positioned within the central opening I1 of the magazine and which may thereafter be forced through the opening I3 in the point. It is desirable that the diameter of the opening I3 in the point make a tight fit with the lead I5 so l that the lead will be frictionally held and will move forwardly as positively acted on by the ejector rod 32.

In operation of the pencil the lead magazine I6 may be placed within the auxiliary section l II of the pencil barrel, and, in fact, this magazine may be dispensed in the form of a cartridge which will contain the leads and which may be bodily positioned within the auxiliary section II. The main barrel section I0 is then rotated with relation to the auxiliary barrel section I I to cause the ejector rod 32 to be retracted to a point in the rear of the magazine end wall 2l. One of the pencil leads I5 will then fall into the central passageway I1 through the magazine, after which the main barrel and auxiliary barrel may be krotated in a reverse direction to cause the forward end of the ejector rod 32 to abut against the end of the lead I5, which is within the opening I'I. In this manner this particular lead may be fed forwardly lfrom the magazine and into the central passageway I3 through the point I4 and in its forward forcing action will feed the lead as desired, and due. to the frictional engagement of the lead with the 3D wall of the passageway I3, will insure that the lead will be held and fed in a manner to present a suitable point.`

It will thus be seen that by the device here disclosed it is possible to provide a simple and 40 inexpensive lead pencil Within which a large number of leads may be installed at one time and from which the leads may be consecutively ejected as required.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, as now known `to me, it will be understood vthat various changes may be made in combination, construction, and arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art without departing from the-spirit of my invention as claimed.

Having 'thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A self-filling lead pencil comprising a main barrel closed at one end thereof, an auxiliary barrel having a point at one end and the other 55 end being telescoped within the open end of the main barrel, said auxiliary barrel being held in place in relation to the main barrel by means of a knurled portion of the main barrel, the auxiliary barrel containing a magazine having a central passageway therein, a magazine therefor having a V shaped trough therein adapted to carry a plurality of leads, the magazine being formed with discs on either end thereof and having a central passageway therein to allow for the passage of a single lead therethrough, the magazine being removably held in position within the auxiliary barrel by means of friction, said magazine being so constructed as to allow single leads to fall by gravity into the central passageway when each succeeding lead has been forced out of said passageway, by the means operated by the manipulation of the main barrel.

2. A self-filling lead pencil comprising a main barrel closed at one end thereof, an auxiliary barrel carrying a point on one end and its other end telescoped within the open end of the main barrel, said telescoping end of the auxiliary barrel being held in position within the main barrel by means of a knurled portion on the main barrel, the auxiliary barrel contains a magazine trough passageway therein, a magazine therefor having a V shaped chamber therein adapted to carry a plurality of leads, the magazine being formed with discs on either end, said discs having central openings aligned with the central passageway at the bottom of the V of the magazine trough, said openings allowing for the passage of a single lead therethrough, the magazine being removably held in position within the auxiliary barrel by means of friction, said magazine being so constructed as to allow a single lead to fall by gravity into the central passageway when I' it is empty without the manipulation of the magazine and means operable by manipulation of the main barrel whereby said leads will be successively ejected from the central passageway in the magazine and through the point.

3. A self-filling lead pencil comprising a main barrel closed at one end, an auxiliary barrel having a point at one end and the other end being telescoped within the open end of the main barrel, said auxiliary barrel being held in relation t-o the main barrel by means of a knurled joint portion of the main barrel, a magazine within the auxiliary barrel having a V-shaped trough therein, a central passageway at the. apex of said trough, said trough being adapted to carry a plurality of leads successively falling bygravity into said passageway when the pencil is in a lateral position and the proceeding lead has been forced out of said passageway and means operated by relative rotation of the barrel sections to forward said lead.

EDGAR B. WHITNEY. 

